Vampires we know and love #13: Lobishomen

Think vampires are all the same? Think again! Vampires come in more flavors than Baskin-Robbins ice cream. So, this special DotW feature, Vampires we know and love, spotlights different kinds of bloodsucking fiends from around the world.

Lobishomen

Despite the last syllable of their name, the lobishomen of Brazil are not men at all. A woman becomes a lobishomen by being bitten, and there must be a whole lot of them because lobishomen don’t kill, they just drink enough blood for survival. Once turned, the lobishomen will take any kind of blood they can, including children’s.

A slight side effect: lobishomen become nymphomaniacs, which is kind of awkward, since they are ugly hunchbacks with short legs and bristly hair all over their bodies. They have a yellow cast to their skin, except for their faces, which are pretty white.

Don’t try the old garlic trick on lobishomen. Use Wolf’s Bane instead, and that’ll keep the girls in their graves. For extra protection, mix Wolf’s Bane with sweet onion and put it on the doors and windows of your house.

• Jonathan Maberry, Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us, Citadel, 2006

Demonspotting: Vassago

I found Vassago a tough spirit to nail down. Not much out there. A guy named Aaron C. Donahue claims to have raised Vassago and that he looks like this.

The Goetia says:

“The Third Spirit is a Mighty Prince, being of the same nature as Agares. He is called Vassago. This Spirit is of a Good Nature, and his office is to declare things Past and to Come, and to discover all things Hid or Lost. And he governeth 26 Legions of Spirits.”

So, you can call on Vassago if you lose your cellphone. But here’s my question… If he’s such a ‘good’ spirit, why hasn’t doesn’t anyone talk about him? Maybe something happens to everyone who sees him. That’s my conspiracy theory version.

Sources

The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft. 2nd Ed  Rosemary Ellen Guiley

The Lesser Key of Solomon S.L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley [1904]

The Christmas Witch: La Befana

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

I’m such a bad girl. I owe you demons. I had to take a little break. Stuff happens.

To make up for my horribleness, watch for something special in February–yes, that’s right, it’s another ZOMBIE MONTH!!! With prizes this time! It will be worth checking out this blog every day…

For now, a post I’ve been saving for TWO YEARS. Finally, the time is right for La Befana.

Image by Fraochsidhe via Flickr

There are parts of Italy where Santa Claus doesn’t visit. Instead, a crone of a witch brings presents on Epiphany, January 5, the traditional day the Wise Men showed with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The witch’s name is La Befana. The story goes that on their way to find Baby Jesus, the Magi stopped at this witch’s house for refreshment, and discovering that she was a fellow wise person, they invited her to come along. She said she was too busy, but later received a revelation that she needed to go give the baby presents too.

She ran after the Magi, but never caught up. She never found Jesus either, so now she gives gifts to all children on Epiphany, to make up for her mistake.

Sources

http://www.italiansrus.com/articles/befana.htm

Dorothy Gladys Spicer, Festivals of Western Europe, Forgotten Books, 1973

IS IT CUTE OR CREEPY?

I CAN’T DECIDE!!!

Demonspotting: Marax

Marax is both an earl and a president. When he shows up, he looks like a bull with a man’s face. He commands thirty legions of spirits.

He teaches astronomy and the liberal sciences. He knows what herbs and stones are good for and can hook you up with other familiar spirits.

Demonspotting: Gusion

Here’s what the Goetia says about Gusion:

The lamen of Gusion

A great and strong Duke… He appeareth like a Xenopilus. He telleth all things, Past, Present, and to Come, and showeth the meaning and resolution of all questions thou mayest ask. He conciliateth and reconcileth friendships, and giveth Honour and Dignity unto any. He ruleth over 40 Legions of Spirits. His Seal is this, the which wear thou as aforesaid.

Now that sounds like a handy dude to have around for a soulless monster who would like nothing better than to drag you to Hell to suffer with the rest of the Damned.

I get the part about knowing the past, present, and future. And knowing the answer to all the questions you might ask. Honor and dignity are handy. So are friends.

But what the heck is a “Xenopilus”?

A little research turned up Xenophilius, which is the Greek term for someone who loves all things foreign (I can dig it.) and a character in Harry Potter. Somehow I didn’t think that was the answer.

Finally, a winding path led me to the possibility that it’s a mistranslation of “Cynocephalus.” As in a creature with the head of a dog.

Werewolf music video

I’ve been a little light on were-posts lately…. But here’s one!

It’s a fun werewolf music video from The Real Tuesday Weld. Blood and gore and a saxophone riff! Nice!

Teresa

Demonspotting 8: Lilith

Image via Wikipedia

Demonspotting: This DotW feature is your field guide to all things hellish and demonic.

Lilith: The Queen of the demons.

Supposedly, Lilith was the first wife of Adam, before Eve. She was created at the same time and demanded equality with her husband. God said no, so she left Eden to go hang out with Satan. Because of this, she’s been kind of held up as a proto-feminist heroine: http://www.lilithfair.com/

Lilith has a fondness for killing babies. I think we can agree that is less heroic.

“Wow, Teresa! This blog post is super short! Lilith is super-mama of all female demons ever? Why doesn’t she get more air time? What up?” I can hear you ask.

Honestly, I’ve got nothing new to bring to the table for Lilith. She’s pretty well known already. It would be like trying to say something interesting about Satan. It’s Satan.

I also have to admit I’m also a little uncomfortable with the way she’s turned into a heroine these days. Sure, she wanted equality, and that’s noble… Except… Demoness. Kills babies. I think we’re reaching a little here, people.

I’m going to save my research for Dwylla, Hannya, and Mati/Syra/Zemlia, a goddess so mysterious we don’t even know her name.

So, if you’re interested in more about Lilith, google her. There’s lots there.

Demonspotting: Botis

When Botis shows up, he looks like an ugly viper–as opposed to all those cutie vipers, I guess. If you don’t like that form, you can ask Botis to wear a human shape. It’s not much better, though. In human for, he has big teeth (sharp, I presume) and two horns. His favourite accessory is a sharp sword.

According to the Goetia, he “telleth all things Past, and to Come, and reconcileth Friends and Foes.”

In Hell, he’s both a President and an Earl.

Black Shuck: Demon dog

In 1577, an enormous black dog killed three people in a church in Bungay, East Anglia, in England. It strangled two of them and shrunk the other.

There are lots of stories of demonic dogs, particularly in England. Often they’re called the Black Shuck, or the Old Shuck. But these stories aren’t often as gruesome as the one of 1577. Usually the dog just appears, scares the living daylights out of you with its glowing eyes, and trots off.

But in some parts of England, they believe the Black Shuck is a bad omen, and if you see it, it’s a signal that someone you love will die soon.

Bad dog.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Shuck